A Pearl Harbor Survivor's Story

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Gentlemen:

 

I attended the 65th Pearl Harbor Survivor Reunion this month with my Father-in-Law who was aboard the Heavy Cruiser USS New Orleans docked at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. My survivor is Signalman Archie Scott and I would like to relate a bit of his story as a tribute to the forum banner, "Dedicated to the heroes who put these tools to work in freedom's name."

 

This 65th Pearl Harbor Survivor Reunion was the last to be held at Pearl Harbor due to the age, health, and difficulties of travel for most of the veterans. Subsequent reunions will be held on the mainland. The week long rememberance ceremonies included the reunion itself, a symposium of participants and historians, a bus tour to normally restricted areas for the veterans and one family member, and the by invitation only Joint Commemoration Ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service.

 

The Pearl Harbor Symposium was video taped by the History Channel and it was shown last week on C-Span. Here is the program cover for the Joint Commemoration Ceremony.

 

 

Here is a photograph of Seaman Archie Scott that was taken just prior to the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack. This photograph was taken on the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1941.

 

 

This photograph shows Pearl Harbor Survivor Archie Scott with wartime wife Louise at the Joint Commemoration Ceremony. This photograph was taken on the Pearl Harbor Pier on December 7, 2006.

 

 

It seems that the photo editor repeated the first photo twice and then placed the wartime photo at the end. At least you get the idea.

 

George Wheeler

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Let's try this again with one photo at a time.

 

The Navy and Park Service did an excellent job of conducting these ceremonies and my father-in-law was very pleased. As a matter of fact, the entire island was great, with people on the street stopping Archie and thanking him for his service and even asking him for autographs. All the Survivors received this same treatment. It made this reunion one to remember.

 

The National Park Service Historian and Symposium Moderator, Daniel Martinez, asked Archie if he would be one of three US Survivors to shake hands with three Japanese pilots at the opening of the Symposium. He agreed to do so and interestingly the Japanese pilot he shook hands with was in a torpedo plane that attacked battleship row on December 7th. Archie told him that he had been on duty on the Communication Bridge of the New Orleans when the attack started and the New Orleans was docked directly across from Ford Island and battleship row. Archie was firing at the Japanese torpedo planes as they flew past his bridge with a Springfield rifle that he had secured from the arms locker. He told the Japanese pilot that it was very possible that he had shot directly at him during the attack. The Japanese pilot broke down and embraced Archie and what started out as a difficult task turned quite emotional. Archie said he could not have shaken hands with this pilot ten years ago but he was very glad that he did now.

 

Here is a shot of Tom Brokaw speaking at the invitation only dockside Joint Commemoration Ceremony. The battleship in the background is the Missouri.

 

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Here is another shot of the Joint Commemoration Ceremony at dockside. Part of the ceremony was an Air Force Missing Man formation flown low over the harbor. The Army Air Force veteran sitting on my right about lost it during that part of the ceremony. The Navy contribution was to send the USS Pearl Harbor into the harbor for the week. Here the USS Pearl Harbor enters the harbor with all hands topside rendering honors to the sunken USS Arizona across from the pier and to the Pearl Harbor Survivors on the dock. The Survivors stood and took the salute from their namesake ship.

 

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Here is a view of the Army contribution to the ceremonies. These are 1941 Army vehicles maned by Army personnel in period uniforms. This display was outside the Park Service entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial.

 

 

The bus tour included the Army facility at Wheeler Field and we had an Army Muleskinner on our bus who told us of the attack on Wheeler. He was just up with his team of mules starting to harness them when the attack started. He said he lost all his mules (who bolted into the hills) and did not find them until later in the day when the returned for feed. He also related the story of several base children who were killed in the attack by straffing. He has never seen this particular incident in print and believes it was hushed up as dependents were summarily evacuated from the island back to the mainland. Interestingly, it was this fellow and his mules who hauled the experimental radar station up the mountain as there was no road when it was constructed.